The first part of Kinoglaz is set in a rural village peopled by Russian peasants. A group of children (referred to as "Young Pioneers") mobilize the adults into the new covenant of Russian society under communism. Since the Young Pioneers can read and keep up with the new Soviet literature, and dutifully poster the town with relevant information, they are able to sway the grown-ups away from the filthy, over-priced open-air market run by privateers toward the neat and reasonably-priced food co-operative run by the government. The children help an old widow harvest her grain and build a camp where they practice marching and hold pro-Leninist rallies; the red flag is raised. The positive activities of the Young Pioneers earn some of the children a trip to Moscow. When the action moves to the city in the second part, all of the urban ills awaiting the Young Pioneers are exposed: there are scenes showing drug addicts, a tuberculosis sanatorium, a lunatic asylum, black marketers, and other societal riffraff. Also shown is the funeral of a worker and family man who has been murdered by men who frequent the local tavern; as the Young Pioneers' clubhouse is located directly above this drinking establishment, the children redress the balance of justice in littering it with leaflets. These images serve as a warning against the temptations of decadence and evil -- though the connection of such moral degradation to capitalist society is implied, it is never openly stated. At the close of Kinoglaz, there is the promise and a demonstration of new technologies such as electricity delivered to the home and the miracle of radio. ~ David Lewis, All Movie Guide
Review
Kinoglaz is an early full-length feature made by Russian documentarian Denis Kaufman, better known as Dziga Vertov. In technical terms, it is real eye-opener, as both the camerawork and editing is of a highly advanced kind associated with the "Russian montage" school of the 1920s. Kaufman repeatedly demonstrates his effectiveness in utilizing short takes, unusual camera angles, and dynamic editing. There are also some brief animated segments that are very striking. In terms of its content, Kinoglaz is both intriguing and unsettling, as it is Soviet agitprop largely directed toward children. The activities of the "Young Pioneers" are depicted in a manner similar to that of an American Boy Scout troop, except that it is clear that the social context is greater than the children and what they do, as the kids help to re-educate the adults in the canon of collectivism. There are moments in Kinoglaz that are not quite so heavy with political doctrine. At one point, a Chinese magician performs tricks, as does the camera itself, which delights in making things run backwards -- trains, workers, and, in one sequence, a diver are seen in reverse motion, which predates Leni Riefenstahl's similar usage in Olympia by more than a decade, though here it is nowhere near as sophisticated technically. The camera and filmmaker is referred to in the third person as "Kino-Eye," as though the medium of film itself is an individual. The sequence where mental patients are shown expressing sentiments that are pre-Revolutionary seems unnecessarily cruel and humiliating, but it shows to what lengths the Soviets would go to get their message out to the masses. Kinoglaz also contains some statements that are mildly anticlerical in tone. If viewers are interested in Soviet life, in film technique, or both, Kinoglaz cannot fail to be less than absorbing, and in some parts amazing and thought-provoking. Kino's video restoration of this exceedingly rare title is to be commended, as Robert Israel's music score is exactly appropriate to the period and style of the movie and the fragmentary final moments of the film are put together in a way that makes sense. The visual quality is excellent despite the type of film Kinoglaz ultimately is -- a low-budget third-world silent in a still-experimental style. ~ David Lewis, All Movie Guide
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